To get the students generating some ideas for today's lesson, I will ask them to make a list of outdoor activities or games that they really enjoy and why they enjoy playing them. I will have them record their answers in their spirals.

I will give them about 5 minutes to reflect and write. Then, I will have them share their lists with other students in a Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up. This will allow them to hear others' favorites and give them more ideas if they need more later for the activity.

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Resources

Today's lesson is a fun extension of the story we read titled The Tail. The students are going to be comparing the main character's, Tasha, favorite outdoor activity of jumping rope to another outdoor activity of their choice. They will be recording their findings and then presenting their findings to the class.

To do this, they need to complete a few steps first. I will go over the guidelines and expectations using the Research-The Tail power point.

Next, we will brainstorm a list of ALL outdoor activities we can come up with as a class. Then, I will ask the students to go through the list and pick a couple to do some research on using the computers. I will just have them circle their choices at this time, so I can keep track.

I will remind the students to take notes about each activity separately. I would suggest using a t-chart for the note taking process. I can model this quickly on the board.

Then, I will display the compare/contrast chart and review how to record our findings to be able to present to the class.

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Resources

Once the students have their choices for outdoor activities selected, they can begin researching. As they are working, I will meet with each student briefly to ensure they remember how to identify credible sources and gather information needed for works cited. I will not be requiring them to do a full works cited, but I want them in the habit of knowing how to locate that information.

I will allow them time to work and research. I do not want this to be a three day lesson, so I will set a time limit of 30 minutes for the actual research. This will help keep them focused and on task.

After 30 minutes, I will have them take a few minutes to review their findings. Then, with their Shoulder Partners I will have them share their findings. This process will just help them analyze everything they found and practice the discussion piece.

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Resources

Because we spent so much time on research today, I will have the students write out their plan to complete their poster and be ready to present tomorrow. This is a great way to keep them focused on what needs to get done and to know what they need to do to make it happen!